taxdetective-Sandusky-Register

Here's what Tariq had to say...

Meridian Bookkeeping and Tax

I know there are people who really can't afford my products and really want to learn how to use QuickBooks properly.

That's why I'm offering this very limited time offer for the next few days until October 15th 2012. 

I'm offering a bundle of all of the products in my online store for one low price.

Boot Camp and CGA's only are the only products that are excluded.

Click here for details and to purchase the bundle:
http://www.taxdetective.ca/catalog/item/6427752/9557335.htm

IPBC members log in to visit my partner page for 50% discount at www.ipbc.ca

Experts on how to use QuickBooks software, (like me, as an example) will invest thousands of hours to become experts. We write articles to explain how QuickBooks works for other ProAdvisors, train clients, train our own staff, and pass online exams to become an Intuit Canada Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.

Small business owners, bookkeepers and accountants expect/hope to learn in a few hours what it took an expert like me thousands of hours to learn, experiment and perfect.

Over the past two years I've written and produced 40 hours of video training to impart that expertise. I share other useful products via my online store, like a OneNote sample of a working paper file, and spreadsheets to calculate various tax calculations, all for a nominal fee.

When you add up all the products in my online store, the combined price is a staggering $952.79 before tax. IPBC members get a 50% discount, for a discounted combined price is $563.84. I partner with IPBC and provide members products at a 50% discount www.ipbc.ca

Last week an accountant who is an IPBC member emailed to beg me to find a way to price these products in my online store so that he can afford to learn what I know how to do. His job is terminating and he can't afford $563.84 plus tax, but he really wants to learn from me. I understand how expensive training is, because I've paid to learn. Often thousands of dollars every year to keep current. So here's what I am going to do for this guy, and for anyone who wants to take me up on this limited time offer, because I really do get it.

So, for a very limited time, as in from today until October 15, I'm going to offer all my products, everything in my Shopping Cart today for $250.00.

I'm going to extend the 50% discount to IPBC members for this package limited time offer. For $125 IPBC members can purchase a bundle of everything in my online store right now, which would normally cost an IPBC member $563.84.

There's only two products excluded from this offer. What's excluded are the monthly meetings for Boot Camp and CGA's Only (Canadian Virtual Tax Research Club).

In addition, for the first 25 people who ACT NOW and take me up on this offer, I'll throw in 90 minute group online meeting from 11:30 am to 1 pm Pacific time on Friday October 19, 2012. The first 25 people can email me one question about how QuickBooks works at least 24 hours in advance, by 11:30 am October 18th (PST) and I'll answer those questions during this hour.

Please act now, this offer may never happen again.

FMC Law says Tax Court upholds advisor penalties

I wonder if this will end up in Supreme Court?

Thanks to Lisa Stretton CPB - sleuth of the week via LinkedIn!

Can you contract out of a law? I don't believe you can. This question has come up several times in the past few weeks so I'm addressing it in this blog. I'd be interested to hear from lawyers what they think of whether or not you can contract out of an obligation, after they've read IC-01 CRA's Civil Penalties. There are accountants and bookkeepers out there who think that it's fine to contract out of their obligations and I don't agree.  At least I don't think you can do it without getting stung by Civil Penalties if it's tax law you're contracting out of. Not sure about other laws like employment standards or WCB, but income taxes... well I think you're pretty much not OK contracting out.

Especially, you can't contract out if you're a professional, or a bookkeeper, at least one who has insurance and wants to continue to be covered by the policy.

CRA has a penalty that applies if you attempt to. If you've not read the Civil Penalties IC in awhile, maybe it's time for a visit..

Having a client sign a representation letter claiming you've warned them or reviewed with them the rules and they have chosen to file their returns, ignoring your advice and professional judgement, that's a recipe for disaster. 

Why on earth would you provide someone with advice, and when they don't take it, say, well that's OK, I'll just write down what I told you and that you plan to ignore my advice and I'm going to help you prepare your filing obligations without my professional judgement and I'm going to make you sign this document, so that absolves me of any and all responsibility. 

You're a professional. You have insurance and when the insurance adjuster sees that you've given professional advice which was ignored and you agreed to ignore your own advice, exactly how long do you think that the insurance company is going to want to insure you?

When someone doesn't take your advice, you should stop working for that client. The client is ignoring your advice, that makes them dangerous to your financial and emotional and maybe even physical well-being for all time.

I have three criteria for good clients. 
1) They pay in advance on retainer
2) They pay without complaining
3) They take your advice, they don't ignore it and expect you to continue to serve them

What's interesting is that our government contracts out of its laws when it hires professionals as consultants, it's contracting out of employment standards, employee benefits, and probably attempting to contract out of WCB if it can get away with it. I heard recently that a number of senior CRA contractors were audited by CRA because of the personal services business rules, and their expense claims for business were curtailed as a result. I wonder if anyone ever considered checking on how many laws CRA was contracting out of by hiring professionals on contract rather than as employees. Just sayin'....

Click here for CRA website

In the search box, type Family Caregiver Amount (that's what this new federal credit for family dependents is called for 2012)

Nothing relevant to making claims for additional amounts for infirm relatives effective for 2012 comes up.

This is the new additional $2,000 federal tax credit available for 2012 if you know how to document the infirmity of your dependents in five categories:

1. Child
2. Spouse
3. Eligible dependent
4. Caregiver
5. Infirm dependent age 18 or older

Next, in the search box type in TD1 and pull up a fillable form.

Complete the form, and attempt to enter all of your dependent claim information on each of the five lines.

But... how do you document infirmity? What does it even mean?

That's why you might want to consider attending my next TaxDetective Boot-Camp for an hour on October 16. This could be worth $300 as a tax reduction to your federal taxes ($2,000 x 15% federal tax rate for credits) per dependent for 2012 x ??? dependents.

www.taxdetective.ca/bootcamp.html

No time? listen in on the run as www.gotomeeting.com has a new APP for your mobile devices.